Colorado Rockies' Matt Holliday swings at a pitch from Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Chan Ho Park in the seventh inning of the Rockies' 5-3 victory in a baseball game in Denver on Wednesday, July 23, 2008. Holliday walked during the plate appearance, but drove in two runs in the game. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Photo: David Zalubowski, AP

Colorado Rockies' Matt Holliday swings at a pitch from Los Angeles...

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Colorado Rockies' Matt Holliday, back, looks at home plate umpire Mike Reilly after he called a strike on Holliday on a pitch from San Francisco Giants' Jonathan Sanchez in the first inning of a baseball game in Denver on Monday, Sept. 1, 2008. Holliday ended up getting a walk in the appearance at the plate. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Photo: David Zalubowski, AP

Colorado Rockies' Matt Holliday, back, looks at home plate umpire...

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Colorado Rockies Matt Holliday hits a fifth inning solo home run for the National League off Los Angeles Angels pitcher Ervin Santana during Major League Baseball's All-Star game. Reuters photo by Lucas Jackson

Though neither team has made any announcement, the A's and Rockies are closing in on a deal that would bring two-time All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday to Oakland and would send young outfielder Carlos Gonzalez to Colorado.

Holliday, who will be a free agent after the season, would provide Oakland with the big bat the club has been seeking for the middle of the lineup. The trade could be official as soon as today.

A's left-hander Greg Smith said he will fly to Denver as soon as today for a physical, but he did not know the other components of the deal. Reliever Huston Street is believed to be part of the deal, and Gonzalez also is expected to be heading to Colorado, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions.

Street was well aware of the rumblings and, he said, "My name was definitely in the talks (at one point), that's as much as I know."

Gonzalez was reached as he rode on a bus to Caracas in Venezuela, where he is playing winter ball.

"A lot of people are trying to call me," Gonzalez said. "I'm hearing I got traded. This is baseball; you can't do anything about it. You just have to get ready to play.

"Holliday is a very attractive player and he'll be great for the Oakland A's. It will be great for me, too. I can make my name in a new organization, but I'll always thanks the A's for giving me the opportunity, for bringing me up."

Street was expected to be dealt this winter and Smith is considered a fourth or fifth starter, but Gonzalez is something of a surprise. He was one of the main components of the Dan Haren deal with Arizona in December, touted as the centerpiece of the transaction at the time. The 23-year-old displayed plenty of raw ability when he was called up at the end of May, with power and a tremendous arm, but after Gonzalez began to strike out at a rapid clip, he was sent to Triple-A Sacramento in late August.

The A's have a number of good young outfielders, including Ryan Sweeney and Aaron Cunningham, so are dealing from an area of strength, but Gonzalez was still considered one of the team's best young players.

The A's would have had Gonzalez under their control for six more seasons. Holliday could be a one-year proposition, at $13.5 million. His agent is Scott Boras, known for demanding top prices for his clients.

Considering Holliday's contract status and the fact that the young A's are unlikely to be a favorite in the Angels-dominated AL West, there's a good possibility Oakland is acquiring Holliday with an eye toward moving him at the 2009 trade deadline.

Oakland had expressed some interest in Holliday before the trading deadline this year, as well. It was expected at that point that the A's would have to part with one of their top pitching prospects, Brett Anderson or Trevor Cahill, to swing a deal. A's general manager Billy Beane said after the season that the club would be unlikely to consider moving either prospect for a bat this winter. Beane was unavailable for comment early Monday afternoon.

Holliday, who will turn 29 in January, was the runner-up for the National League MVP award in 2007. He was also the MVP of the NLCS in 2007. He has right-handed power, something the A's are always seeking; he had 36 homers and 137 RBIs while batting .340 two years ago. In 2008, Holliday hit 25 homers with 88 RBIs; he batted .321 and his on-base percentage was .409.

Street, the 2005 AL Rookie of the Year, was demoted as the A's closer in early August and had a blow-up in the dugout in Detroit with manager Bob Geren a month later. With the emergence of Joey Devine and Brad Ziegler in the Oakland bullpen, it was clear Street probably would be moved this winter. He was 21-12 with 94 saves and a 2.88 ERA in four seasons with Oakland.

Smith, like Gonzalez, was part of last year's deal with the Diamondbacks. The 24-year-old went 7-16 with a 4.16 ERA this season; his winning percentage of .304 was the worst ever by an Oakland left-hander. Smith wasn't helped by the fact that his teammates provided him with the worst run support in the league, under 3.00 per game. Smith did establish an Oakland record with 16 pickoffs in a season.

He had minor arthroscopic surgery two weeks ago to remove three small "loose bodies" from his left elbow. He is expected to be healthy for spring training. One source with knowledge of the talks called Smith's physical the "linchpin" to the trade.

An excellent hitter, Smith is excited about the possibility of going to the NL, saying, "I can wear black cleats and hit again."

In other A's news, bench coach Don Wakamatsu, who is from Hayward, will interview for the Mariners' manager job Wednesday.

Trade bait

The career stats of the players who could be traded in the A's-Rockies deal. Smith and Gonzalez have played only one season:

OF Matt Holliday, age 28, bats right

G

AB

R

2B

HR

RBI

BB

SO

AVG

OBP

2004

121

400

65

31

14

57

31

86

.290

.349

2005

125

479

68

24

19

87

36

79

.307

.361

2006

155

602

119

45

34

114

47

110

.326

.387

2007

158

636

120

50

36

137

63

126

.340

.405

2008

139

539

107

38

25

88

74

104

.321

.409

Total

698

2656

479

188

128

483

251

505

.319

.386

OF Carlos Gonzalez, age 23, bats left

G

AB

R

2B

HR

RBI

BB

SO

AVG

OBP

2008

85

302

31

22

4

26

13

81

.242

.273

RHP Huston Street, age 25

W

L

SV

BSv

IP

BB

SO

ERA

2005

5

1

23

4

78.1

26

72

1.72

2006

4

4

37

11

70.2

13

67

3.31

2007

5

2

16

5

50

12

63

2.88

2008

7

5

18

7

70

27

69

3.73

Total

21

12

94

27

269

78

271

2.88

LHP Greg Smith, age 24

GS

W

L

CG

SHO

IP

BB

SO

ERA

2008

32

7

16

2

0

190.1

87

111

4.16

Big trade

In a deal that could be announced today, Oakland looks set to send three young players to Colorado for outfielder Matt Holliday: